49/52 - They're Alive!

They're Alive!

I have used a number of lighting mods (mostly home made) throughout this project but realised that I hadn't used any gobos to date. So for this weeks shot I used 2! A gobo (derived from "go between" or goes before optics) is something that can be used to block light and control what is lit.

Lighting setup inside.

 Lighting Setup - They're Alive

The main light for this shot was a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/128 and zoomed to 105mm from camera right. I also used two picture frames as gobos to ensure the light only hit wall-e and didn't spill onto the marbles. I used a third picture frame, which was white in colour, to bounce the light form the 580 EX II on the other side of Wall-e.

The second light was a Canon 430 EX II fired from high camera right. This strobe was fired at 1/32 and zoomed to 105mm. The red gel on this strobe created the "eyes" on the marbles.

Common Iora - Thalangama and Yala, Sri Lanka

Common Iora (female) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

While I was in Colombo in July I visited the Thalangama wetlands almost every morning to photograph the bird life. On one of my visits I came across a few Common Ioras. I hadn't photographed them before and took the opportunity to shoot a few frames. The photograph above is one of my favourites because of the warm early morning light on the bird.

More photographs inside.

Common Iora (male) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The males proved to be a bit more elusive and I wasn't able to get many shots of them. Males are unmistakable as their upper parts are a blue-black in colour where as the females are a dull yellow. The Common Iora is found throughout the lowlands and the mid hills of Sri Lanka. It is a very vocal bird but can be difficult to see due to it's plumage.

Common Iora (female) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The male Common Iora is said to perform an "acrobatic courtship display" during the breeding season. It is said to puff up it's feathers and dart into the air and spiral back to the same perch. Once it lands, it spreads its tail and droops its wings. I am yet to see this performance.

Common Iora (female) - Yala, Sri Lanka

All the photographs on this post were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens. I did push up the ISO to allow me to use a faster shutter.

48/52 - Cherries

Cherries

This weeks shot is of water splashing off some cherries. The hardest part of this shot was getting a decent splash. I wanted to light the cherries using two lights. I wanted one of them to light the overall image and the second to act as a key light. I could have used one light and the ambient to achieve a similar result.

Lighting setup inside.

 Lighting setup - Cherries

The main light was a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/4th through a shoot-through umbrella from high camera left.

The key light was a bare Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/32 from camera right.

I used a black foam-core board as the background. I tried a white foam-core board but the water droplets were not as clear.

The Statues at Maligawila - Maligawila, Sri Lanka

The Maligawila Buddha Statue - Maligawila, Sri Lanka

Maligawila is a small village approximately 250km from Colombo. The area is sparsely populated and is covered in jungle. In 1951 the fallen remains of a 7th century giant free standing Buddha statue (said to be the tallest free standing Buddha statue in Sri Lanka) were discovered in the area. The statue was part of a larger complex which also included a large statue thought to be of the Avalokitheswara Bodhisatva and a gedi ge (A Buddhist shrine).

More images inside.

 The Maligawila Buddha Statue - Maligawila, Sri Lanka

The Buddha statue is carved out of a single limestone rock and stands at a height of around 14 meters. When it was first discovered in 1951, it had fallen and was broken into pieces by a combination of the fall and treasure hunters. The first attempt of raising the statue was made in 1974 but was unsuccessful. The statue was finally raised and  restored in 1980 by a team of local engineers.

The Maligawila Buddha Statue - Maligawila, Sri Lanka

The statue was said to have been built by a King named Aggabodhi who ruled the southern region of Sri Lanka in the 7th century. A stone pillar found within the complex also documents the work done by King Mahinda IV (956 - 972 AD) to uplift Buddhism and also defines the rules laid down for the administration of Buddhist sites.

Statue of the Avalokitheswara Bodhisatva - Maligawila, Sri Lanka

The statue of the Avalokitheswara Bodhistva is a short distance away from the Buddha statue. It too is carved out of a single limestone rock and stands at a height of approximately 10 meters. This statue too was found broken into several pieces due to its fall and the damage done by treasure hunters. The intricate details on the face of this statue have been preserved quite well due to the fact that the head had been lying face down for  an extended period of time (possibly hundreds of years). It was successfully restored in 1990. When we visited in July this year we found a scaffolding around it and more restoration work in progress.

All images on this post were captured with a Canon 7D and the 24 - 105mm lens.

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47/52 - Marble

Marble

This week's shot is a bit late as I was away over the long weekend. I decided to photograph a marble and I wanted the colour to drop off towards the left of frame. I picked a "Sangria" coloured gel to create the background colour. If I were to shoot this photograph again, I would try and get a bit more colour on the right hand side of the marble.

Lighting setup inside.

Lighting Setup - Marble

I used a snooted Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/8 to light the image. I tried firing the stobe in a number of positions, including straight down at the marble, before I settled on firing it straight into the background. I'm not sure how to expose the right hand side of the marble. Should I use another flash or should I just re-position the snooted strobe?

I'll probably end up experimenting with this one after the project finishes. The setup, as you can see, is quite straight forward.

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The Hybrid Black-rumped Flameback - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The Hybrid Black-rumped Flameback - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

I had been hoping to photograph the hybrid species of the black-rumped Flameback for a couple of years but didn't get a chance to do so until recently. The closest I came to photographing it before our recent trip to Sri Lanka was in Anuradhapura in 2009. The bird visited the garden while I was away photographing butterflies!

More images inside.

 The Hybrid Black-rumped Flameback - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The subspecies of Flameback found in the southern part of Sri Lanka (Dinopium benghalense psarodes) has a crimson back and the dark markings are blacker in colour and are more extensive. The subspecies found in the north of Sri Lanka (jaffnense) has a golden back and a shorter beak.

The Hybrid Black-rumped Flameback - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The species "hybradises" in Puttalam, Kekirawa, Trincomalee and Anuradhapura. I came across a pair of Flamebacks near Abhayagiriya and found that one of them was actually a hybrid (See the 3 photographs above). Fortunately I had my camera gear with me and was able to take a number of photographs of the pair.

The Hybrid Black-rumped Flameback - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

I'm not sure whether the second bird, photograph above, was actually a hybrid. The variation in colour was a lot more subtle but I thought there was a variation. I visited the same area again the following day hoping to shoot a few more frames of the pair but they did not make an appearance. 

Next on the list of shots would be to photograph the Northern Sri Lankan species as well as better shots of the hybrid.

All the photographs on this post were taken with the 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

• Black-rumped Flameback part 1

• Black-rumped Flameback part 2

 

46/52 - Smokin

Smokin

Here's this weeks entry for the project. I know I have photographed a Tennis ball before but opted to use one again for this shot. I wanted to use smoke to give the shot a feel of speed and movement. I'm nto sure if I succeeded but here are the results anyway.

Lighting setup shots inside.

Lighting Setup - Smokin

I used a two light setup for this one (I would have preferred to use three lights but I've got only two!).

A Canon 580 EX II was fired "on axis" at 1/128th and zoomed to 105mm to light the ball. The camera was set to a white balance of tungsten to give the smoke a blue colour. To correct this, I used CTO gels on the 580 EXII.

The second light was a Canon 430 EX II fired from camera right at 1/64th and zoomed to 105mm to light up the smoke. The light from this strobe was bounced back onto the ball with a white foam-core board form camera left.

A black foam-core board was used for the background.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher - Yala, Sri Lanka

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

The Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher is similar in appearance to the immature Indian Paradise Flycatcher, which is a winter migrant to Sri Lanka. I came across a number of these birds in Yala and Anuradhapura during the month of July. I was fortunate to photograph a number of them at fairly close proximity on a number of occasions during these sightings.

More photographs after the jump.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

Adult males are easily identified by their long tail feathers which can grow up to about 30cm in length. It is found in wooded habitats throughout the island and breeds in the dry lowlands and the lower hills. It is known to visit other areas during the migration season.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The female, pictured above, has a smaller tail but a similar body size to the male. The birds can be located relatively easily as they have a high pitched call which is used often. The male's long tail also gives it away in flight.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

One of the main challenges in photographing these birds is getting the shutter speed correct. Although this is dependent on the speed of the lens being used, the available light also plays a part in this. I tend to push up the ISO on my camera to compensate for the aperture of f5.6 on the 400mm end of the lens I use.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi ceylonensis) - Yala, Sri Lanka

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